This application is based upon French Patent Application No. 00 10774, filed Jul. 28, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety, and the priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the board of a gliding apparatus, in particular an alpine ski, as well as a gliding apparatus including such a board.
More specifically, the invention relates to such articles which incorporate an electronic data exchange label with an external reading and writing device.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
In the case of an alpine ski, an electronic data exchange label is disclosed in the patent documents EP 441 318 and WO 99/54005, in which it is integrated into the structure of a ski during manufacture. According to these documents, the label, which is a relatively thin element, is merely inserted between two layers in the laminated structure that forms the ski. In the first case, the label is passive, it can only be read. In the second case, the label has a rewritable memory, i.e., it can receive and store data transmitted thereto, and which data can be read subsequently. The data exchange with the label is done remotely, without any physical contact, by means of an appropriate reading or writing device.
Among the commercially available labels, two reading/writing techniques are generally known, which depend mainly on the format of the label, and also on the frequency used to perform the data exchange. According to a first reading/writing method, these operations are performed over a short distance by means of a portable device which is presented in the vicinity of the label. According to another method, the operations are performed over a longer distance by means of a stationary installation, for example, when the article and its user pass between the side panels of a detection gate.
In both cases, it has been found that the data exchanges could be interfered with by the metallic masses of the board or of the boot retaining elements. For example, the skis of the fibro-metal type have two metallic reinforcing layers on the top and bottom which are capable of hiding the label from the detection apparatus. The retaining elements also have various metallic parts that can hinder the reading and writing operations.
An object of the invention is to improve the existing gliding boards and retaining assemblies so that the reading and writing operations of the data exchange label with which they are equipped become easier and more reliable.
This object is achieved for the gliding board according to the invention, which includes a longitudinal beam whose structure is formed by a stack, or laminated structure, which includes a bottom surface layer possibly edged with lateral running edges, reinforcing layers, a decorating layer, and a central core, the board being equipped with a data exchange label. The data exchange label is positioned at a distance greater than or equal to about 2 millimeters from any metallic mass of the stack.
In particular, when the structure of the board includes upper and lower metallic reinforcing layers, the invention provides a cutout in at least one of the metallic reinforcements, and the positioning of the data exchange label in the center of the cutout.
The connecting piece of the gliding apparatus bears a data exchange label, the gliding apparatus having front and rear retaining elements connected to one another by a connecting piece made of a non-conducting material.
In this way, the data exchange label is positioned at an adequate distance from any metallic mass of either one of the retaining elements, or of the board.